Need them! I've got one for salt and one for fresh. I even retrofitted my William Joseph with spikes but I don't use them unless fishing big rivers. Last time I fished in the salt, I noticed a big difference in having the stripping basket fishing in a canoe in the marshes. In a boat a big stripping drum is superior to the bare deck.

The Orvis seems to be the most popular here and is my favorite. Definitely need the spikes. I even have an Ikea step stool with heavy duty zip ties used as the spikes, it works ok but is a little shallow.

Now that's an interesting comment. I don't think I've ever seen a person with a 2hander use a stripping basket. Any of the 'spey community' use one?

I am an oddball on this one and almost always do. But I don't swing flies most of the time either. The water is not fast enough to swing flies here so I strip just like you would a single hander. I'm putting casts out well over a hundred feet so if I didn't use a stripping Basket I would be surrounded by line by the time I got the fly in. I use a basket I made myself. It hangs low on my left hip. I do it kind of like the old west holster. I have the belt with two straps hanging down to the basket. Then the basket has a strap low on it that goes around my leg.

I also have to go with spikes. Or in my case loops of weed whacker line. First photo is of my basket I use with a two hander;
If I were on a bigger fast river where I was swinging flies for Steelhead I'd leave this home..... nope, in the car. Getting back to Fred's and Randy's comments. I have never seen a two hand guy using a stripping basket ever. So my curiousity is also peaked. Randy, are you using one also?

When I use a single hand rod I almost always use a stripping basket also, because this is big water here and this "30 to 40 foot casts are all you need" sentiment does not apply here. A basket really does help. You don't need to go out and buy a really spendy one either. I had one I made from a plastic basket I got at a dollar store. I made the loops from weed whacker line I picked up from the ground where the lawn guy tried whacking around the rocks and fence at the neighbors house. He lost a lot of line. I made the hanger for my belt out of an aluminum finger splint from when I accidentally ran my middle finger between the fly wheel and starter gear of my boat motor. Have a funny story about that one. Anyway, I had a whole dollar invested in that basket. I lost the finger splint when I caught a big Pike one day ( was distracted and must have dropped it and stomped it into the mud ) so I ended up replacing it with some web strap and a Crocodile clip. You can see The finger splint in this photo;

If you are doing real long casts and there are snaggy weeds and whatnot, a basket is really needed.

I'm willing to bet that the vast majority of damaged lines are the result of stepping on them.

Definately need the spikes. I use the Orvis basket because I bought it used at a yard sale. Before that I used a Rubbermaid tub. I used loops of plastic wire (from my weedwacker) through the botton of the tub. I do agree with Randy, the LL Bean is too wide and the edges aren't molded over like the Orvis. If you fish in the cold and nick the edges with your fingers you woun't be happy

I have to ask, what are spikes? The idea of a stripping basket is growing on me, as my boat has a million things the line gets snagged on when casting.

The pegs, or spikes coming up from the bottom help keep the line coiled in the basket so it doesn't turn into a knotted mess. If you look at Dan's last pic he has those blue plastic loops coming up from the bottom. They do the same thing.